ESPN News ServicesDec 4, 2025, 09:24 PM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWASHINGTON -- MLS commissioner Don Garber won't rule out adopting relegation and promotion while making clear such a decision is years or decades away. MLS launched in 1996 with 10 teams and currently has 30 in a closed system. The latest team, San Diego, paid a $500 million expansion fee to start play in 2025. Garber has been adamant during his lengthy tenure as commissioner that relegation and promotion doesn't work for MLS because of the huge amounts of money owners have spent on stadiums, training complexes and youth academies."There's no real point of saying never because I don't know what the future would look like. I certainly never thought we would adapt to the international calendar," he said Thursday night during a news conference at D. C.
